Harness-saddle



I MT (No Model.)

, L. B. HILL.

HARNESS SADDLE.

Patented July 25, 18 9s.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEONARD B. HILL, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

HARNESS-SADDLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 502,121, dated July 25,1893.

Application filed October 10, 1892. Serial No. 448,334. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LEONARD B. HILL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Harness-Saddles, ofwhich the following is a specification, reference being had therein tothe accompanying drawings.

My invention has for its object to provide an improved harness saddle soarranged that the saddle proper will rest upon a spring support which isinterposed between it and the back of the horse, and the construction ofwhich is such that the back of the horse may be kept cool and in ahealthy state while the Weight resting thereon is more evenlydistributed, and it consists in the combination with a harness saddle,of pads such as hereinafter'specified which are placed under the sidesof the said saddle and between the latter and the back of the animal towhich the saddle is applied.

The novel features of my invention are pointed out in the claim which isappended hereto and made a part hereof.

My invention in the best form now known to me is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a plan view and Fig. 2 is aside view of one of the pads. Fig. 3 is a side view showing a harnesssaddle with the pads in position.

A is a piece of suitable material preferably of thick felt which may beof any convenient size and shape. Spiral springs of metal I) which areshown as of hour-glass shape, but the shape of which may be variedwithout departing from my invention, are secured to the piece A in anywell-known manner. I prefer to secure them by stitching with strongthread or cord. This manner of fastening leaves the surface of the pieceA whichcomes in contact with the animal smooth and not liable to causeirritation. These springs b are preferably five in number for each pad,although the number of springs employed may be varied as will beobvious. In order to prevent the springs from lateral displacement, orfrom getting out of position in any manner they are tied together by aseries of cross-pieces c which may be made of the same material as thesprings. These cross-piecesc are employed at both ends of the springs,the springs being in this manner thoroughly tied together, preferablybefore they are secured to the piece A.

The piece A may consist of a continuous sheet underlying all the springsor it may be cut away or perforated to any extent so long as the holesor perforations do not expose the back of the animal to the pressure ofthe springs or cross-pieces. The holes or perforations in the felt serveto allow the air to circulate over the back of the animal and so keep itcool and in a healthy condition. If the piece A were not employed thepressure of the metal of the springs and cross-pieces on the back of theanimal would very soon make the back sore. The purpose therefore of thepiece is to distribute the pressure of the springs or to form a softcushion between the springs and the animal. By tying the springstogether by means of cross-pieces c, as shown, a greater pressure on oneof the springs than on the others cannot displace the spring and will beborne to a greater or less degree by the other springs. The devicetherefore not only operates better by reason of these cross-pieces butis much more durable.

The saddle is placed on top of the springs, a pad comprising the feltbacking with its set of springs being employed on each side of thesaddle, that is, on each side of the back bone of the animal. The saddleis secured to the springs by being strapped thereto or in any otherWell-known manner or the springs may be permanently secured to thesaddle when the latter is constructed as shown in Fig. 3. In such caseif the top of the saddle were of metal and the top of each spring weresecured thereto, the cross-pieces 0 connecting the tops of the springswould not be required.

As will be obvious instead of a series of springs being secured to onepiece of felt which is provided with holes or perforations, each springmay be provided with a separate piece of felt, the intermediate spacebetween the pieces of felt thus employed being left open and servingsubstantially the same purpose as the perforations in a large piece offelt upon which all the springs are secured. In case a horse has a soreback such a pad is ing tied together by a cross-piece or crosspieces andhaving secured to the free ends thereof felt or similar material forcontact With the back of the animal to which the harness saddle isapplied, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LEONARD B. HILL.

Witnesses:

WM. A. MACLEOD, RoB'r. WALLACE.

